President Donald Trump on Friday defended his decision to temporarily pause tariffs on imported beef, despite criticism from some US cattle producers.
“We want to get the beef prices down, so we’ll get them down a little bit, and that’s what people want. That’s what the voters want, and that’s what I want,” Trump told reporters on his way to South Carolina.
Calling ranchers his “people,” Trump said, “They’ve done a fantastic job. But they admit that we need a little help.”
Trump announced earlier Friday that the US would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported for the next 90 days without out-of-quota tariffs. He wouldn’t tell reporters which countries he’d made a deal with. “I don’t want to say which countries, but there are a few countries, but they’re going to be sending in the highest quality beef, and it’s something that we need,” Trump said.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association pushed back on Trump’s announcement, writing on social media, “No cow-calf producer in America is asking for increased imports. Undercutting American farmers and ranchers with inferior product from foreign competitors does nothing to create market confidence or encourage rebuilding the herd.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley said he was “concerned for the cattle markets,” given the closure of a Tyson beef plant in Joslin, Illinois, earlier this month and the latest temporary action from the White House.
“After Tyson closure in Illinois last wk I’m concerned for the cattle markets +now Pres Trump’s decision to temporarily open up subsidized beef imports,” the Iowa Republican posted on X, using abbreviations for words due to the character limits. “USA cattlemen shld always be put 1st thru America 1st policies Need 2keep up progress fighting screwworm+ expanding domestic herd.”
GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana also came out against the action, which he said he advised Trump not to take for the past year.
“I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” Sheehy wrote on X, adding that Trump’s “heart is in the right place” for wanting to lower prices for US consumers and noted that the screwworm is impacting prices.
“But the reality is this action will make it more difficult for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring prices down for the American people. And most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation,” Sheehy said.
Pressed by CNN on Sheehy’s comments, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said, “No administration has been more pro-rancher than this administration taking extraordinary actions under USDA to protect and ensure the security of our food supply chain — but again, there’s been, there was an outbreak of screwworm in Mexico.”
And he emphasized that this is “a specific, temporary deal to address an acute issue.”
